Presently available disposable syringes do not adequately safe guard the user from unintentional contact with the needle of the syringe. Many guard structures have been proposed but they suffer from several drawbacks. In many instances the user must manually retract the needle into a guard structure or otherwise cap the needle structure. These approaches force the user to move his hand toward the needle and therefore expose the user to a greater risk of accidental prick by a contaminated needle. Consequently there is a need for an improved safety syringe which minimizes this risk.